Futures Past 05: Flying Lessons
Arvy
DISCLAIMER
None of these characters belong to me, and like so many
worthy people before me, I'm only borrowing them for a short
while. All characters referred to herein belong to CC, or 1013,
or Fox, or Tristar, or Rysher, whoever owns the rights to them.
Author's Notes
Told ya there'd probably be a followup. So here it is. And
combined with Crossover, this baby is over 300K. Whew! I can
finally close the book on this chapter after almost 4 months of
work. Don't worry, there are lots more ideas where this one came
from, for those of you still interested.
For those just tuning in, this is the fifth in the series.
The dynamic duo are still in Seattle, and this story takes place
about a week after FP4: Crossover. You might want to read that
one first, if you haven't already. If you can't find the previous
parts at Gossamer, drop me a line at unmai@bigfoot.com and I'll
send you a copy. Or better yet, hop on down to my webpage at
http://www.bigfoot.com/~unmai for all my other work.
This isn't really too much in depth about their newfound
skills, but it does explore Mulder's 'unique' abilities a bit.
Other than that, it's mostly fluff. No X-file or anything serious
like that. Also there's really very little angst in here, and
it's quickly resolved. Also a severe MSR warning for those of you
who don't like that kind of stuff. All others, enjoy. And send
lots of feedback after you read it :) The address is
unmai@bigfoot.com.
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Futures Past 05:
Flying Lessons
by Arvy
Mulder Residence, Seattle, WA
Monday, February 23, 1998
8:03 PM
"*NO*! I said *no*. Dammit!"
The cry startled the redhead in the kitchen, almost causing
her to drop the glasses she had just pulled out of the cabinet.
She carefully placed them back down on the counter, then turned
to hurry out of the kitchen into the living room. She stopped
short at the sight that greeted her. Her jaw dropped as her mind
tried to assimilate what her eyes were telling it was going on.
It took a couple of tries before she finally regained her senses
enough to remember to close her mouth.
"What the hell!"
"Ah, good, Scully. Would you tell this idiot to stop and let
go already? I don't know how much longer I can hold on."
"What in heaven's name is going on, Mulder? What are you
doing?" To Dana Scully, it looked like her partner and newfound
lover was trying to do a handstand on top of the couch. How he
managed to get himself in such a position was beyond her. But
there he was, upside-down, his hands gripping the back of the
couch, his legs flailing every which way. It was eerie how he
managed to stay upright, or rather upside-downright, with all
that thrashing around. What was even more astonishing was the
fact that Nick was trying to force Mulder to loosen his grip on
the couch, a grip that already seemed to be clawing its way
through the upholstery.
She looked around to see her friend Natalie sitting on the
armchair across from the two men, trying desperately to smother
her laughter. When she managed to get it under control, she
looked up first at Scully, then the self-proclaimed acrobat, and
promptly dissolved into giggles again. Obviously, she was going
to be no help here.
"Let go! I said... Noooo...!"
The cry brought her attention back to the scene in front of
her. Nick had apparently finally managed to loosen Mulder's death
grip on the piece of furniture, although how he did it without
Mulder tumbling over was a miracle in itself. That was when the
next shock of the night occurred. Instead of falling over as his
fingers lost their grip on the couch, Mulder shot upwards,
hitting the ceiling, and uttering a series of "Owws" as he
bounced against it a few times before he finally stopped. Now he
was firmly plastered to the top of the room, staring frantically
at the three looking up at him, his eyes pleading with them to
find a way for him to get down. Scully turned to Nick, who had
the grace to look slightly sheepish.
"I'm sorry, Dana," he said. "He brought up the topic of
flying lessons. I guess I should have gone with the tried and
true method instead of trying to be more... humane. But he has to
learn to fly... whatever it takes."
Scully turned back to the ceiling, now adorned by a fan, a
light fixture and one very nervous FBI Agent. After that initial
display of vampiric transformation that fateful night almost five
days ago, Mulder hadn't really used his newfound powers overtly
in any way. Oh, there had been little hints here and there, like
that thing with his heartbeat, or overhearing a phone
conversation on both sides, or commenting on the smell of her
perfume from all the way across the room. And then there was the
time she had caught him moving about without any lights on. From
what Nick had told her, vampirism extended a person's vision
deeper into the infrared part of the spectrum. It probably also
corrected Mulder's slight color-blindness, as evidenced by the
number of times he'd commented on the fiery color of her hair.
Apparently, he'd told her, it had always seemed like a deep ochre
shade to him before.
But this was the first time she had seen a tangible
manifestation of those powers. Mulder wasn't just lying against
the ceiling. He was flying! Actually defeating the laws of
gravity and force and others too numerous to mention. She
wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own
eyes. She still didn't quite believe it completely. As she
watched, he slowly inched over to the light jutting out of what
seemed to him to be the floor. Reaching it, he wrapped his arms
around it, prepared to hold on for dear life.
"Exactly how were you planning on getting him down?" Scully
turned to face Nick, trying very hard not to notice the 170
pounds or so hanging over their heads.
"Usually the problem is staying up, not getting down." Nick
smiled, pulling his eyes away from his student to look at Scully.
"When LaCroix was trying to train me, he would take me to the
roof of my house and push me over. After a couple of times of
getting my neck broken, the instinct sort of just kicked in. It
took a while to get fine tuned control, mind you," he said,
smiling as his eyes wandered back up to the ceiling, "but I never
had this much problem coming back down."
"How did you get him up in the first place?" Scully darted a
nervous glance above her, partly to confirm that he was still
safe up there, and partly to make sure she was still safe down
here. The last thing they needed would be to have him fall on top
of their heads. She wisely moved over a couple of feet, just to
be on the safe side.
"I told him to hold on to something solid, and to think of
himself as being lighter than air. I just kept repeating the
phrase and... well, you saw the results when you came in."
"Wouldn't the opposite work? Why don't you try telling him
to think of himself as slowly getting heavier?"
"I was just about to try that." Nick nodded at her, then
turned back to face the other man. "Okay, Mulder, are you
listening to me?" The man above him nodded slightly, his eyes
still scrunged shut, his body still wrapped around the light
fixture as if it were his only tether to safety. "I want you to
try calming down, and slowly think of yourself as getting
heavier. Okay? Slowly, Mulder."
"It's not working," Mulder replied through clenched teeth.
"Of course not! I told you, you have to stay calm. Empty
your mind of everything. Just listen to my voice, and everything
will be okay."
The words were directed at Mulder, but listening to them
almost made Scully feel somewhat... She shook her head, and the
feeling disappeared. Nat had mentioned something about this as
well. With all these caveats about his powers, she thought
briefly about writing them down somewhere, just so she wouldn't
be surprised when Mulder suddenly did something weird. What had
she said about the hypnotism? Something about the quality of a
vampire's voice. Apparently, the vocal cords thickened slightly,
giving the person a deeper voice. She hadn't noticed this much in
Mulder, but the voice also had a somewhat hypnotic quality, at
least upon mortals. Immortals and certain mortals, or resistors,
as they were called, were unaffected by this mesmerism, unless
they chose to allow themselves to be hypnotized.
And that was the problem right now. Mulder was so freaked
out by his sudden flight that he wasn't allowing himself to
become calm. As a result, Nick's words were having a hard time
getting through to him. Scully decided to intervene a little. She
looked up, calling his name. "Mulder." She saw his eyes blink
open as he registered her voice. "Hey up there," she said softly.
She felt a slight wave of relief when he managed a small, albeit
nervous smile. Good, she thought, he wasn't too far gone.
Continuing in her soft voice, she said, "Mulder. I want you to
listen to Nick, okay. Calm down, and listen. Will you do that for
me?"
He closed his eyes again, willing himself to calm down.
After all, even if he fell, it wasn't as if he would die.
Besides, Scully was there. She would take care of him. Gritting
his teeth, he nodded slightly, opening himself to Nick's words.
As they slowly sank in, he felt himself growing heavier. The
feeling of weightlessness faded. He opened his eyes, looked down,
and was thankful to see the floor just a foot below him. But the
trance broke when he opened his eyes, and, as a result, he landed
the last few inches with a thud. He immediately reached over,
grabbing the couch again, and letting out an immense breath of
relief.
"I...," he said, gasping, "... am never...," breath, "...
doing that again."
"Sorry Mulder." Nick looked at him pointedly. "It's not an
option. Every newborn vampire has to go through this. Would you
rather I just pushed you off the attic? Because that would
probably work quicker, although it won't be as pleasant."
"No." Mulder shook his head stubbornly.
"Good, let's try again."
"I meant I don't want to try..."
"I know what you meant. And, like I said, that's not the
choice I gave you." Nick's voice rose sharply. "In here, or
outside, from the attic?"
Mulder tried to match the glare from the older vampire, but
couldn't quite make it. 'Damn, this guy could give the Scully
glare a run for its money.' Seeing no way out of it, he tightened
his grip on the couch, muttering a quiet "In here."
"Okay, just like before. Listen closely to my voice. You're
getting lighter. Your body's not as heavy anymore. You can feel
your weight dropping..."
Again, as before, Mulder felt his feet leaving the ground.
He sucked in a breath, determined to get this right. Keeping his
eyes open, he looked down, wobbling slightly as he did so.
"Now, just stay at that height," Nick said when Mulder had
risen about three or four feet.
This time, Mulder didn't feel as uncontrolled as before. No
way was he letting go of the couch yet, but at least he wasn't
feeling as if he would shoot off into space the minute he let go.
With a little bit of effort, he found that he could move up, down
and sideways, just by thinking about it. He looked up from where
he was staring at his feet to turn a triumphant gaze at Nick. "I
think... I've almost..."
"Yes, Mulder. You're doing it. Just will it, and let it
happen."
Mulder turned to face his partner, a smile on his face. When
she saw him look at her, she realized she had been staring at him
the whole time. She blushed, then smiled encouragingly at him. He
held out one hand to her, and when she moved forward and reached
out to grasp it, he moved his other hand off the couch to enfold
hers in his. He lost his balance slightly, uttering a startled
"Whoa...!" as he swayed a little before righting himself. Looking
back into his partner's eyes, he whispered, "Superman, eat your
heart out." Both their faces lit up at the private joke as Mulder
slowly lowered himself back to the floor.
"I think that's enough for today. Soon we'll try this
outside, after you gain enough control." Nick went to sit down,
and Natalie reached up to give him a quick kiss before sitting
back and turning to Mulder. "Nick's taken me flying before. And
believe me when I say, there's nothing quite as exhilarating."
Stealing a quick kiss themselves, Mulder turned to Natalie.
"I'm sure it's... something else," Mulder agreed as Scully
returned to the kitchen to fetch the wine and the glasses she'd
almost dropped before.
Today was her birthday, and after a small celebration at
Joe's, the four of them had returned to Mulder's place to chat
for a while. Somehow, it felt strange, acknowledging birthdays,
Scully thought as she got the wine out. They didn't exactly
signify anything anymore, except as a handy way of keeping track
of how many years she'd been alive. When you don't age, having a
number to signify it seemed almost... frivolous. Staying thirty-
something all her life... At least both of them would be able to
pass for someone in their twenties or their forties. It would
give them more time before having to change identities. But at
the same time, having birthdays seemed so normal, something she
couldn't imagine not doing. Sighing, she wondered about other
things, most of them inconsequential on the surface, that would
eventually lose their meaning as time went by, or didn't, as the
case was for them.
Pushing the wistful thoughts out of her head, she headed
back to the living room, not too surprised to see Mulder hovering
again over the coffee table. He was like a little boy sometimes,
give him a new toy and he could spend hours investigating every
single aspect of it.
"Hey, Scully. This is actually fun. You should try it
sometime."
'Sometime in the far, far future,' she thought, recalling
only too well the bouts of motion sickness she'd occasionally get
while flying on airplanes. She'd never liked flying much, and
probably hated the idea of it almost as much as Mulder hated open
water. She smiled at the thought. She could probably beat Mulder
when it came to the number of times one of them had been sick
because of their respective phobias.
"Remember, Mulder. You have to be careful. Don't do this
outside except at night."
"You worry too much, Nick." Seeing the look directed at him,
Mulder hastily added, "Don't get your knickers in a wad. I'll
remember. I don't exactly want to advertise either, you know?"
Quickly changing the subject, he asked, "Say, how high can I fly?
Is there a limit or something?"
"Mulder..."
The warning tone sounded from his partner as he descended
once again. He walked over to sit by her, grabbing a glass of
wine as he did so. He gave a slight grin at the nauseated grimace
on Nick's face as he sipped from the glass. "What? I'm just
curious."
"I hope so, Mulder. No one I know has flown higher than a
few hundred feet or so. I have no idea what happens if we go
higher, but I'm sure it won't be pleasant."
Mulder nodded as he digested this piece of information.
Nonetheless, Scully could tell from one look at his face that the
matter was far from resolved. He would quietly accept what Nick
told him now. Whether he would accept it come tomorrow was an
entirely different story. She finished off her wine as she
wondered how she could dissuade him from trying something
foolhardy the next chance he got. She allowed herself a silent
snort. As if she ever could.
"Are you sure you don't want a little wine, Nick?" Mulder
asked, his face the picture of innocence as he picked up the
empty glass from the table. He grinned at the look of vehemence
Nick shot at him, his grin widening at Natalie's next words,
"Yeah, why don't you try some, Nick? It tastes wonderful."
"Not right now, thanks," he muttered, studiously avoiding
Natalie's eyes.
He was saved from any further pressure by Scully when she
brought up the next topic of conversation. It was something she
had been thinking about for the past week, ever since she'd found
out about being immortal. "Nat? I've been meaning to ask you.
Duncan said that he practices in his dojo. Where do you... you
know..?"
"Oh, at Nick's. He has this huge loft, and it's pretty
isolated, so we don't disturb anyone. Plus, he's a great sparring
partner. After all, he was born when swordfighting was
commonplace. I couldn't ask for a better teacher," she said,
looking at the person in question, adding with a mischievous
smile, "although he does claim to be getting rusty after all this
time." That earned her a mock glare.
Scully smiled as well, thinking about what her friend had
said. "I suppose we'll have to find someplace as well." Turning
to her partner, she said, "Mulder, we might have to start looking
for a martial arts dojo or fencing gym when we get back to DC. We
won't be able to just spar in our apartments, you know."
"All in good time, Scully. Maybe, Duncan's clansman, Connor,
can suggest some good ones in the area. Or, he might be able to
provide us with an even better location. We'll call him when we
get back."
Satisfied, Scully nodded, then turned back to her old
friend. "Nat, how'd you manage when you first found out... you
know, about being immortal? It can't have been easy."
Her friend shrugged at the question. "Actually, it was
easier than it might have been. I was really lucky that no one
saw me actually 'die' the first time. I was able to go back to my
life. There are many of us who have to give up their life, their
friends, everything they've known, and move on. It can be quite a
shock the first time. But, for me at least, other than the daily
training with Nick, my life hasn't changed all that much. There
are, of course, little things. I've noticed that I don't get as
tired near the end of my work shifts. And the training keeps you
in better shape than any workout you can imagine. Immortality
certainly cuts down on doctor's costs, although the dry-cleaning
is hell."
"Dry-cleaning?" Mulder frowned at the non sequitur.
Suddenly, he understood the reference, his face paling at the
idea. He gulped. "How many have you... ah...," he coughed, "you
know..." He made a swishing motion with his hand to indicate what
he meant.
Natalie gave him a small smile. "Two. I hated each one. And
I hoped each time that I'd never have to do it again. I tried to
avoid them, like I did others, but sometimes you have no choice."
She let out a sigh, leaning back as she recalled the unpleasant
memories. "You know, you two might actually be lucky at that."
She saw both the agents raise their eyebrows questioningly. "It's
been my experience that most immortals looking for a fight
generally don't bother when there are two of you to contend with.
So you may not be bothered as much as if it were only one of
you."
"I suppose," Mulder mused, "but I don't mind telling you I
am not completely in love with the idea that once a challenge is
made, you have to fight. I mean, what if you don't want to? Isn't
there any way to escape it?"
"You know," Nick chuckled, "I asked Nat and Duncan the same
thing a couple of years ago. You won't believe how frustrating it
was to just stand back and let her fight..."
"...and I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Nick,
the same thing Duncan told me." Natalie sighed. "You can't get
away from it, Mulder. You can try hiding on holy ground. Some
have tried that, with varying degrees of success. But, honestly,
I can't picture either of you getting cloistered any time soon."
"But, what if we refused to fight? Or if we shot the other
immortal and then walked away?" Mulder stubbornly asked.
"The problem with refusing to fight is that those intent on
killing you will keep coming back until they succeed, or until
you kill them. And there's no way to stop them, short of fighting
them to the death. You can't just shoot them, and hope they'll
forget about you. Especially with the Gathering supposedly around
the corner."
Mulder sighed as Natalie's words only confirmed what MacLeod
had taught them over the past week. It was so ridiculous, being
granted immortality, the chance to live forever, but with the
sword of Damocles constantly hanging over their heads, or necks,
in this case. It seemed like such a waste, such a stupid 'Game',
as MacLeod had put it. And this Gathering. No one, immortal or
Watcher, seemed to know anything specific about it, except that
it was inevitable. One day, all immortals would be pulled
inexorably to fight each other to the death, until only one
remained to claim the mythical Prize. Of course, no one knew what
the prize was either. Some said ultimate power, others claimed it
was simple mortality. What a crock! He was sure God, or whoever
first came up with the notion of immortals, was laughing his head
off somewhere in the heavens. He felt Scully reach out and place
her hands over his.
"We'll get through this, Mulder. Like Duncan said, one day
at a time."
He smiled, nodding at her. "Maybe we could buy an old chapel
or something and convert it into a house. At least, then, we
won't have to worry about our heads being chopped off in our
sleep."
Scully felt relieved at his sarcastic remark. The humor
indicated that he had managed to shake off the pensive mood he
seemed to be falling into. Mulder had an uncanny knack of
affecting everyone around him in when he sank into one of his
moods. And it usually took a good deal of work to pull him out of
them. She should know; she'd only had to do it a couple of
hundred times over the past five years.
"You know...," Nick said slowly, turning to Natalie. "That's
not a bad idea. Maybe we could get someone to bless the loft,
consecrate it somehow. At least, then, we'll have some place
safe..."
Natalie cut him off, smiling at his words. "We'll do it once
you get over your fear of holy objects. Face it, Nick, if we were
to do that, you wouldn't be able to set foot within the loft."
Nick managed a wan smile at her words. "That conditioning that
LaCroix mentioned is just too strong. I've seen you get burnt
from handling something as small as that little cross on Dana's
necklace. What would living on holy ground do to you? Besides,
remember, no fighting on holy ground. Where would we practice?"
"All right, okay, no turning the loft into St. Nick's," he
replied, smiling as he raised his hands in surrender.
Mulder suddenly let out a snort of laughter. Seeing the
others look at him, he tried to explain. "I was just picturing
Skinner, our boss, as we tried to explain why me and Scully were
moving into the chapel down the street."
Scully's eyes twinkled as she tried to imagine the scene
Mulder described. It would certainly be something to see. "Oh,
yes, sir. Religion is very important to us," she said, mimicking
a patient Mulder trying to explain their sudden change of address
to an infuriated Skinner. She couldn't help it. She laughed as
well.
"Or, how about this?" Mulder went on. "While we were on our
vacation, the ghost of Elvis came to me in a dream, and told me
that you and I had to found the New Church of Presleites."
Scully let out a groan, still chuckling at the idea. "No,
no. You have it all wrong. Skinner would never believe that. You
should either say that Elvis' ghost visited you in real life, or
that it was Elvis himself in the dream. Elvis' ghost appearing in
a dream is just too..."
"... spooky?"
"I was going to say 'too much'," Scully retorted good
naturedly. "Too bad we won't be doing it though. It might be
worth going through with it just to see the look on Skinner's
face."
"So you guys are definitely not going to move in together?"
Nat interjected. During their daily lessons, Dana had mentioned
something along those lines. But, obviously, this was the first
Nick had heard of it, as evidenced by the questioning look on his
face.
"No, Nat," she replied. "It would just be too dangerous for
us, right now anyway. Maybe when our positions are more secure.
Besides, if the Bureau ever got wind of us, one or the both of us
will probably get transferred. There are too many people who
would be only too happy to have a legitimate excuse to shut down
our work. And we'd be playing right into their hands."
Natalie simply nodded at this. Privately she felt sorry for
her friend. She had just found her happiness, and now she would
have to hide it behind a veil of caution. But if that caution was
justified... She had been horrified at what Dana and Mulder had
mentioned at the bar the week before. And apparently, not even
Canada was completely safe from these madmen who had somehow
managed to get themselves into power. Mulder had mentioned
certain experiments he'd witnessed north of the border involving
biological warfare. He'd talked about how this... consortium...
was using bees and other methods to perform controlled
experiments on the unsuspecting populace. She felt an involuntary
shudder at the idea. She saw her friend tighten her hold on
Mulder's hand.
"Maybe, one day, when we've found what we're looking for..."
the redhead said softly.
"One day...," Mulder echoed, his voice soft with hope, yet
strong with promise.
Natalie saw her friends staring into each other's eyes, lost
in the moment. She silently wished them both the best of luck.
>From what she had seen and heard of their lives, these two were
sorely in need of all the good fortune they could get. She smiled
as she realized that they had probably forgotten that she and
Nick were still in the room. She looked over at Nick, seeing him
nod silently as he echoed her smile.
"Well, it was a great evening, guys. But Nick and I should
get going. I'll see you two tomorrow." She placed her wineglass
on the table and stood up. The agents broke off their intense
gaze at the sudden interruption. Blushing, they stood up as well,
escorting Nick and Nat to the door. "Good night," Natalie said on
her way out the door. "And happy birthday, Dana."
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9:21 PM
Mulder dried the wineglasses and put them back into the
cabinet. He wiped the last of the water from around the sink, and
was putting up the towel when he heard the faint footsteps
sneaking up behind him. He froze, smiling to himself as he waited
for the sounds to get closer... closer... He felt the presence
come up behind him, and turned around to gather the person
standing there into his arms as he firmly planted a sound kiss on
her lips.
'Damn sensitive hearing!' the redhead thought, her surprise
fading into pleasure as she melted into the kiss. She felt his
hands roaming over her robe, moving to the front to part it,
moving inside to stroke her sides, then sliding back to cup her
cheeks, pulling her up into the kiss as it deepened.
"Mmm..., a butt-man, Mulder?" This was new, not that she was
complaining. "I would never have guessed." She smiled as she
pulled away from his lips, looking up to stare into his flushed
face.
"You know it, G-woman. 'Butt soft, what light...'," he
began, breaking off at her exasperated smile. "Seriously though,
what do you think I stare at all those times I usher you into
Skinner's office? I need something to focus on while Skinner's
chewing my ass off." He leaned down to place a delicate kiss on
her nose.
She laughed as she retorted, "Oh, really? And here I thought
you just wanted to give Skinner's secretary a chance to see your
delicious ass. I know I should be insulted or offended, but
seeing as how I've done the same thing so many times..."
"Let Kimberly check out your ass? Oooh! I think I just got
very turned on."
She wanted to wipe that mischievous smirk off his face, but
settled for a light slap on his chest. "You would. Get your mind
out of the gutter, Mulder. I was talking about checking out
yours. And if I ever catch you letting Kim, or anyone else for
that matter, check you out..."
"Oooh! I'm so scared. If I do, then what, Agent Scully?"
Her voice dropped to a sultry whisper as she replied, "Then,
Agent Mulder, your ass is mine." She leaned back in, wrapping her
arms around him and kissing him again to emphasize her point.
When she finally pulled back from the kiss, she smiled at
his hoarse whisper, "It already is, Scully. It already is."
"You'd better remember that, buster. Now, I'm going to go
take a shower," she said, turning to walk out of the kitchen. She
paused at the door, looking coyly over her shoulder at the man
standing a few feet behind her, her voice dropping until it sent
shivers up his spine. "Care to join me?"
He was so tempted to say yes. Well, he thought, isn't that
what a temptress did? Tempt? And Dana Scully, MD, was one
bewitching temptress when she set her mind to it. He actually
surprised himself when he said, "No." Seeing her startled look,
he grinned. "I have a surprise for you." The look turned into one
of expectant delight. "I want you to go take your shower. It'll
be ready when you come out. Go on, get," he shooed her, waving
his hands in the direction of the bathroom.
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9:44 PM
He heard the sounds of the shower stop as he opened the door
to the bedroom. He walked in, his hands behind his back. Just in
time to see Scully drop her robe and reach for the pajamas she
had placed on the bed.
"Whoops. Sorry," he blushed, turning away. Then, realizing
what he'd just done, he turned around again, the blush deepening.
He saw Scully standing there, pajamas in her hand, an eyebrow
arched, and a growing grin gracing her face.
"Mulder, did you just do what I think you did?"
"I...," he began, his expression conveying his
embarrassment.
She laughed. "Mulder," she said in exasperation, "there's
nothing here you haven't intimately explored within the last
week. And I daresay, I've gotten to know your body equally well
myself."
"Give me a break, Scully. It's been a while. This is
strange. Getting used to it, I mean. Used to you, to us." He
laughed. "God, I can't believe I did that." He moved forward
towards her, reaching out to gently pull the pajamas out of her
hand.
Scully used the movement to steal a kiss from him, her lips
meeting his as she leaned up and into him. Their tongues dueled
as she burrowed into his chest.
When they finally broke apart, each slightly breathless,
Mulder ran his tongue over his lips, savoring the lingering taste
that remained. "I think I'm beginning to regret not joining you
in the shower."
Scully lightly swatted him, reaching past him to grab the
pajamas again.
"Uh-unh. No pjs for you tonight, m'dear. I've got something
special for the birthday girl." He placed the pajamas on the bed,
pulling out the wrapped box that he had been hiding behind him
all along.
Her eyes lit up at the sight. "Oh, Mulder. You shouldn't
have."
"I didn't."
"Hunh?" She took the box, her expression one of confusion.
"I mean I didn't get this for your birthday. Well, not this
one anyway." He put his hands over hers, stilling them before she
could tear into the package. "Do you remember what you got for
your birthday a couple of years ago? It wasn't too long after
Modell, remember?"
She thought fondly of the green robe and slippers ensemble
that she'd found waiting for her when she'd returned home that
day, two years ago. Dealing with Modell had really brought the
two of them together, and she'd been touched by his gift. Oh, the
package had been unsigned, and a week late, but there was no
question that it had been from Mulder, even if there had been no
card, just a lazy 'Happy Birthday' written on the package in his
familiar scrawl. That he felt comfortable enough around her to
give her something so personal had touched her deeply. Of course,
it had also raised some hopes, hopes that hadn't been realized
until recently. Still, the robe had quickly become her favorite,
a fond reminder of their closeness and their friendship, even if
neither of them had gotten around to acknowledging that it had
been from him.
"Well, guess what else came with them?" His eyes twinkled.
"When I saw the set, the idea of you in it just popped into my
head. I couldn't see myself giving you this piece then. But I
guess it's lounged in my drawers long enough." He pulled his
hands away, gesturing for her to open the package. "Happy
birthday, Scully." He watched as she tore open the wrapping,
opening the box to reveal the nightgown that lay inside.
She placed the box on the bed, reaching in to pull out the
gown. It was green, and matched the robe and slippers perfectly.
As Mulder had said, a matched set. It seemed so silky, so
diaphanous, almost as if woven out of gossamer. She slipped it
on, luxuriating in the feel of the fabric against her body. She
smiled at Mulder, letting her appreciation of the gift shine
through. "It's lovely, Mulder. Thank you so much. I love it." She
moved to look at herself in the mirror. She paused when she
didn't hear a comment from him. She turned to find him staring at
her, his mouth hanging open slightly.
'Wow!' The gown hugged her body in all the right places, yet
seemed to flow around her, loose and sexy, all at the same time.
If this was how she looked in it, he was glad he'd waited until
he could actually see her in it before giving it to her. "Wow,"
he repeated, aloud this time. "You look...," he fumbled for the
right words before deciding once again on a breathy, "wow!" He
saw the blush as her face lit up at his words. He grinned, moving
forward to kiss her again. Together they moved to the bed,
falling into it in a mass of jumbled hands and legs.
"It's beautiful, Mulder." Scully pulled back from the kiss.
"But..." She slowly began unbuttoning his shirt, then started in
on his jeans.
He quickly got the idea, reaching behind her to undo the
clasp on her nightgown. Great as she looked in it, he had to
admit, she looked even better without it on. "Wouldn't want to
ruin my first gift to my girlfriend now, would we?" he chuckled.
"Here, let me help you get off..."
"Girlfriend?" Scully cut him off, dutifully ignoring the
implied innuendo. She carefully folded the gift and placed it
back in its box before returning to Mulder's side.
"Isn't that what you are?" Mulder groaned slightly as he
felt her hands caress his bare chest, now that his shirt was
completely off. He could feel her fingernails drag over his skin,
scratching softly, exciting him. His hands moved up to return the
favor.
Now it was her turn to moan as his hands wandered over her
body, seemingly encompassing her, stroking in all the right
places, exciting her senses, setting off the nerve endings where
they brushed, making her crave his touch where they didn't.
"Don't you think, uhhh... God, Mulder," she began, arching into
his touch, hoping to get more of her body in contact with his,
"that we're a little old to be... uhh... called boyfriend and
girlfriend?" She finished, breathless, as he continued his
ministrations.
"So what would you call us, Scully?" He was enjoying the
effect he was having on her. "What exactly are we to each other?"
"We're partners, Mulder. You might even say we're
soulmates." She let out a keening squeal as his fingers found a
particularly sensitive spot. "Oh, god! Right there, Mulder."
"Hi, I'm Fox Mulder. And this is my soulmate, Dana Scully,"
he mimicked their usual introduction. "I don't know, calling us
soulmates has a nice ring to it, but you gotta admit, it sounds
kinda hokey when you say it like that." He grinned when he
realized that she was fast approaching the point where she
couldn't care less whether she was his soulmate, his girl Friday,
or his whatever. "How about significant other? Isn't that the
popular term nowadays?" he couldn't resist teasing her.
"Not anymore Mulder. And could we talk about this later?"
Her lips came together in a pout. "There are so many wonderful
things we could be doing right now, instead of arguing about how
to address each other in public."
"But..."
"We're partners, Mulder. And that's that. Now pay attention.
Right there, yessss...," she hissed. She soon realized that he
was way overdressed, and quickly decided to remedy the situation.
She rolled them over so she was above him. She unbuttoned his
jeans, pulling them off in one sweep. Her gaze traveled up to the
last remaining piece of clothing, and she couldn't help the
hiccup of laughter that escaped her.
Her partner, in more than one sense now, lay back against
the headboard, his hands behind his head, looking down at her as
she reached up to grasp his boxers. He grinned. "Thought you
might like that," he said, indicating the multicolored garment.
She couldn't help staring. Cars? She probably loved the
simple black ones the most. Still, he always managed to get a
laugh out of her at his creative choices in underwear. She
mentally ticked off the pink flying pigs, the glowing green Xs,
the looney toons, and the UFOs. How many boxers did the man own
anyway? This was the fifth one, and sported cars of various
designs and models. She leaned in for a closer look. Damn if that
wasn't a Mustang right there on the front seam.
Mulder grasped her shoulders, interrupting her perusal as he
pulled her up closer to him. He arched up as he felt her moving
over him.
She could feel him through the boxers, sliding against her
as she moved up. Her breath caught as his lips came close to
hers. She allowed her own lips to part slightly in anticipation,
hearing his words through a haze of desire and want.
"So, Scully," the harsh whisper sounded, "Have you ridden a
Ford lately?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Five years, Scully. Tell me again why we waited so long."
The sated couple lay in each others' arms, the sheets
twining around them. Mulder pulled her in tighter, nuzzling into
the sweet scent of her hair.
Scully, in turn, rubbed her cheek against his chest, then
turned to plant delicate kisses from his throat down. "You know,
Mulder, if you had given me the nightgown along with the robe and
slippers, or if you'd even just signed your name on that gift..."
"I thought for sure you'd have kicked my ass across DC if
I'd dared. Do you have any idea how scared I was to give you even
the robe? I was expecting the standard 'Let's just be friends'
lecture for almost a month after that. I still can't believe I
actually found the courage to tell you last week."
"Oh, Mulder. Do you know how long I was waiting for you to
tell me? I thought, after Pusher... and then you gave me the
robe... I mean, I knew it was from you the instant I saw it. But
you never stayed around long enough to really talk, and I guess I
thought I might have been mistaken, that you didn't feel the same
way."
"Why didn't you ever say anything? I thought if I avoided
you, you might not find the chance to tell me you wanted a
transfer or something."
"And look what happened."
Both became quiet as the events of a couple of years ago
came back to them. Mulder remembered only too well what had
happened. And he now realized that he might have inadvertently
been responsible for it himself. Those few months when the rift
between them just grew worse and worse... He'd turned himself
inside out, trying to find a way to heal the distance between
them. It had started out small... insignificant arguments that
would heat up into shouting matches for no reason. And it had
taken time. For about a half a year after Pusher, things had
seemed nice enough.
But he'd been so afraid of losing her. After that ridiculous
case with Ephesian and his wives up in Apison, he'd deliberately
started distancing himself, protecting himself. And then,
ditching her once again as he ran off to Russia with Krycek...
God, what could he have been thinking? And then that stupid
vacation to Graceland, when she probably needed him the most.
"Betts knew, didn't he?" he asked her quietly. She nodded
into his chest, burrowing tighter against him. Leonard Betts, one
of their more forgettable cases. He'd had the uncanny ability of
sensing cancerous tumors in others, which he promptly went about
extracting and consuming in order to stay alive. "Is that
why...?" He couldn't quite bring himself to say the words,
although his hands roamed down to caress her back, right where
the tattoo had been.
She looked up into his eyes, a wan smile gracing her face.
"I wanted to prove to myself that I didn't need you, or anyone
else. I thought it was a way of rebelling. God, how stupid could
I get? All the time I was with Ed, I kept thinking about you. I
was so pissed off at you," she snorted, "but I missed you so
much. And it felt like I had no right to you..."
"You always did, Scully. I was always yours. I just wish I'd
had the courage to tell you sooner."
"You know, just for the record, Mulder. I didn't... with
Ed... I didn't even want to." She felt him hug her tighter.
"I think we both made mistakes, Scully. I wish I'd been more
open to you. I wish I'd seen just what you were going through.
When I saw your journal in the hospital, it suddenly hit me. It
felt to me like you were wanting to give up. You don't know how
happy I was when you decided to fight. When I saw the spark back
in your eyes... I just wish you had let me in, let me help with
your cancer..."
"I wanted to fight, Mulder. So bad. But I think I'd given up
the idea of actually beating the cancer. I just wanted justice in
the time I had left against the bastards who had done this to
me."
"You were cutting off your ties, weren't you?" he cut in.
When she stared at him, he continued, "You were preparing
yourself for death, so you decided to cut off everyone who cared
about you, just so it wouldn't be so hard when the time finally
came. I'm right, aren't I?" He saw her about to protest, but he
cut her off. "I wasn't the only one, you know. I talked to your
mother, and she said the same thing. You didn't visit her as
often as you used to. You weren't giving up the fight, Scully,
but you were giving up hope."
She choked back a sob. He'd hit the nail right on the head.
She'd been so afraid, she'd realized it was actually easier to
just accept her impending death. "I'm so sorry, Mulder. I was so
scared to hope... Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if I'd
allowed myself to lean on you, or mom. But I'd never done that
before. I've always been so self-sufficient, the idea of allowing
either of you in never even occurred to me."
"I know," he said, a smile on his face. "I think I always
knew. I was always there for you during your cancer, you know.
Even if you didn't know it, even if you didn't want me there."
"I love you, Mulder. Thank you." Her voice caught in her
throat as she uttered the words.
"You're entirely welcome, my beautiful angel. And I think,
in some ways, it was a good thing we waited." She raised her
eyebrows, prompting an answer from him. "We were partners, then
friends, long before we became lovers. Not many people can say
that. They say best friends make the best lovers. I don't know
how true that is, but I'm not sure how well we would have worked
out without this bond of trust between us that we had to forge
first."
"Maybe, Mulder. But..."
"Granted, we were probably idiots for waiting *this* long.
I've loved you since I don't know when, although I realized just
how integral you'd become to my life when you were taken."
Scully nodded, smiling through her tears. "Mom told me how
nice you were to the hospital staff."
He smirked. "Yeah, I'm surprised I wasn't nominated for the
nicest visitor of the year award," he said, his sarcasm evident
as he recalled how he'd shouted at and harangued the staff back
then. "But, tell me something, Scully. You were assigned to me at
first. Why did you stay with me after you came back? You could
have transferred easily. In fact, Skinner told me that he'd
offered you a transfer, but that you'd refused. Was it because
you loved me so much, or because you genuinely thought the work
wasn't without merit?"
"The work," she responded promptly. "Don't get me wrong,
Mulder. I think I was attracted to you even then. But like I told
you before, I don't think it was until New Mexico that I fully
realized how much I loved you. Albert told me about what had
happened, and when I saw the boxcar on fire, I just saw my life
shatter around me."
He tightened his grip on her, using his humor to diffuse the
situation. "With all the times, we've been shot at, hurt, nearly
killed, it's a miracle we didn't become immortal long ago."
"Very funny, Mulder. Maybe if I wasn't such a great
doctor..." She smiled, acknowledging his effort to lighten the
mood. "But what I wanted to say was that staying with the X-files
may have been partly because of you, but mostly it was because I
thought the work needed to be done. I saw what you showed me
during our cases, Mulder. I may not have agreed with your take on
some of them, and I may have not wanted to believe some of the
things I saw, but I was horrified at the injustice of it all.
They were hiding the truth, Mulder. And it would have been wrong
to turn a blind eye to that."
"But, do you think we would have stayed together if we'd
fallen into the sack that night in Oregon?"
Memories of their first case flashed across her mind. She'd
run to his room, half-naked, asking him to look at suspicious
marks she'd found on her body. Marks that had turned out to be
nothing more than mosquito bites. She had been so relieved, she'd
flown into his embrace. It had been just a hint of the trust they
would eventually share. Even then, each of them had known they
were attracted to the other. And, each of them had probably also
had an idea of the effect they had on the other. And each had
known the consequences...
"You're right, Mulder. I don't think it would have worked
out at all if we hadn't waited. Maybe we did wait a bit too long,
but back then Jack was way too recent for me for any type of real
relationship. And, knowing you, it would only have confirmed your
suspicions that I was the spy Blevins and Cancerman intended me
to be, sent to distract you and debunk your work."
"Exactly," he smiled at her. "I'm glad we held off long
enough to learn to trust each other first. But I'm even more glad
that we finally came to our senses. I'm so happy right now,
Scully." He paused as he thought about what he wanted to say
next. "You know I'm almost scared. Over the past week, I've kept
wondering, waiting for this dream to end. You're everything I've
ever wanted. I thought I wanted the truth, to find my sister. But
I never realized how meaningless my so-called quest would have
been without you to share it with, without you to share my life
with. And every day, I'm afraid that I'll find out..."
"Hush, Mulder." She placed a finger to his lips. "Let me
tell you something. This is one dream that I'm determined to make
a reality. I'm never leaving you, Mulder. Not if you ask me to,
not even if you threaten me. I love you, and I'll always be by
your side. Together, Mulder." She grasped his hands in hers,
intertwining their fingers. "Together, forever."
His face slipped into a slight smile at her words.
"Promise?"
"That's a promise, G-man. C'mere." Her smile rivaled the one
she'd given him back in Alaska, back when he'd been waking up
from the retro-virus induced coma. Back then, she'd been happy
that he was still alive, that their friendship and partnership
was still viable. Now she had just promised him so much more.
More than just their partnership, more than just a friendship.
This was a bond on a deeper level, in effect a commitment as
profound as a marriage proposal. His next words only served to
seal the promise.
He moved closer to her, claiming her lips with his mouth. "I
love you so much, Scully. Each moment only makes it more clear to
me." He moved his hands to encircle hers, rubbing the back of her
hands lightly as he contemplated his next words. His eyes grew
smoky with passion as he whispered, "Marry me, Scully."
"Oh Mulder!" Her eyes widened at his question. She couldn't
believe he'd actually asked. This was the second time, if memory
served, even if the first one had been a joke. Or had it? She
recalled how he'd spent his weekend during her previous 'vacation
time'. She didn't have to see the pencils falling on her
partner's head to see how he'd managed to spend a couple of days
when she wasn't around. She allowed herself a slight grin at the
thought. What would he do without her? Then again, what would she
do without him? There could only be one answer to his question.
'Mrs. Fox Mulder'. The words almost rolled off her tongue. She
felt a shiver run down her spine at the idea. She wanted to
scream her assent, but the timing couldn't have been worse. There
was no way they could get married, not at this point in their
lives. She sighed. "You know we can't..."
"Not now, Scully. I know it isn't the right time. Not yet.
But one day..." He smiled warmly at her. He'd expected her
response, and hurried to reassure her.
She smiled back at him, glad that he agreed with her. One
day... "Yes, Mulder. Of course I'll marry you. I would love to
marry you."
His eyes radiated his happiness at her answer as he
enveloped her in his arms once again. Together, they lay in the
bed, gradually allowing the night to overtake them. As they were
drifting off, Scully heard her partner mumble, "You do realize
what we just did, don't you, Scully?" He could feel her smile
against his chest as she answered.
"Hmm...? Yes, Mulder. I have a pretty good idea."
"No, I meant the names problem."
"Huh?" She didn't know if it was the sleepiness, but
somewhere along the line, she'd lost track of what he was saying.
"The problem of what to call each other. It's official
now... well, as official as it's gonna get for now. We're
engaged, Scully. That means I get to call you my fiancee. Kinda
has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
"Mmmm...," she answered dreamily. "Just don't say it in
front of Skinner. He's liable to bust a vein or something."
"Deal, Scully. Good night."
"Good night, Mulder."
The End
Futures Past 05:
Flying Lessons
by Arvy
-----------------------------------------------------------------
End Notes
The quote "But soft, what light through yonder window
breaks..." is from Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. Please do not
read any foreshadowing or symbolism into this story because of
this quote. I have no plans to tragically kill off our heroes
anytime soon. The quote just popped into my head as I was
thinking about the dialogue.
Now that that's disclaimed with, I just wanted to say that I
have no idea why I didn't just tack this onto the end of
FP4:Crossover. Maybe I could even have moved some stuff from that
into this. I don't know. That's just the way the muse's gifts
fell.
About the birthday gift. I know that in Tempus Fugit, Scully
mentions that 1997 was the first time Mulder actually remembered
her birthday. What I assumed this to mean was that it was the
first time he'd remembered it on time. He'd given her gifts
before, but always too late, and usually unsigned. Just a way to
explain his 1996 gift of the robe and slippers.
Whoa! This is it? That's all to the end notes? Yes, folks. I
decided to give y'all a break. I can't for the life of me think
of anything more to say. So I'll just end with the usual request
for feedback. As always, the address is unmai@bigfoot.com.
Futures Past Chronology:
01 - The Awakening (Oct 1997)
02 - The Light of Day (Jan 1998)
03 - My Funny Valentine (Feb 1998)
04 - Crossover (Feb 1998)
05 - Flying Lessons (Feb 1998)